Nationals season comes to an end with 3-2 loss in NLDS Game 4
Final. 3. 40. 2. 90
It is a sad day for Washington Nationals fans around the world. The season has officially come to an end as the Giants won Game 4 of the NLDS by a score of 3-2, winning the series three games to one.
The game winning run came across in the bottom of the seventh inning on an Aaron Barrett wild pitch. Yes, you read that right, the Nationals’ season came to an end, due to a wild pitch.
This was all after Tyler Clippard is still sitting in the bullpen in this biggest part of the game, but I will save that for my next post here shortly.
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The scoring started in the second inning after four straight batters reached base, after a pop out to begin the inning. Brandon Crawford singled and then Juan Perez hit a tapper back to the mound that Gio Gonzalez couldn’t handle putting runners on first and second. The pitcher Ryan Vogelsong laid down a bunt, that no one communicated on loading the bases. And wouldn’t you know it, a flustered Gio Gonzalez throws four straight balls to the leadoff hitter Gregor Blanco to score the first run of the game.
The next run came across on the next hitter, as Joe Panik grounded out to Adam LaRoche scoring Juan Perez, who was on base due to the error. Gio had given up two runs, neither one of them earned because of his own error, funny right? Don’t ever trust earned runs, stick with runs allowed, per nine innings, folks.
The scoring went dormant until the fifth inning when Ian Desmond singled to leadoff the inning, which was followed by a Bryce Harper double down the line in left, allowing Desmond to score from first.
After the Nationals were down just a run, Jerry Blevins came in in a tough spot with the bases loaded and two outs and got a strikeout of the hot hitting Brandon Belt. He would finish the next inning as well, giving him three and one-third scoreless innings for the postseason.
The Nats were able to tie the game once again at two in the top of the seventh as Bryce Harper hit a towering shot into McCovey Cove off of rookie right-hander Hunter Strickland. That was Harper’s second home run off of Strickland in the four games of the series.
The end of the game was everything but exciting as the Nats went down in order to end the season. Adam LaRoche flew out to the warning track to begin the inning, Ian Desmond followed with a questionable strikeout, Bryce Harper drew a clutch walk, and Wilson Ramos ended it with a ground out to second.
It was a great run for the Nats, but a major disappointment, as they aren’t able to get out of the divisional round of the playoffs once again. Stick with DoD through the offseason for all of your news and notes from the staff as the Nats look to start out strong in 2015.